Kim wins French Open after clutch par putt on 18, Koepka fades to 4th

PARIS (AP) — American golfer Michael Kim holed a 15-foot par putt at the last hole to seal a one-shot victory at the French Open on Sunday for his first worldwide title in seven years, while former No. 1 Brooks Koepka faded to a fourth-place finish.

Kim left his bunker shot short on the par-3 No. 18 but rolled in for par to complete a 6-under 65 and end the week on 16 under.

"I kind of blacked out when that putt went in," said the 64th-ranked Kim, whose last win came in 2018 - by eight shots - at the John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour.

This victory didn't come so easy, with Elvis Smylie of Australia and Ko Jeong-weon of France both shooting 65s to be tied for second place.

Koepka, who started the final round in a tie for the lead, could only make eight pars and a bogey on the back nine to fall out of contention. The five-time major winner shot 68 and was alone in fourth place.

Koepka last won in August 2024 on the breakaway LIV Golf circuit at the Greenbrier in West Virginia and was playing a third straight week on the European Tour. He missed the cut in the Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Kim, who has established himself as an unlikely social media star in recent years, became the first American to win the French Open in 53 years, since Barry Jaeckel in 1972. Walter Hagen and Byron Nelson were other U.S. players to win the title.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf